At Work in the Kingdom of God

The task of supporting yourself, your family, and the work of the ministry requires so much of our waking hours that I am dumbfounded that it has been given so little attention by preachers and teachers in the church. I was also at a loss for a place to start, since I had few references other than the Bible. Originally, I wanted to share my insights on starting a small business and securing one's niche in the economy. But the more I've thought about it the clearer it became that this information would only help someone who was prepared for it.

Earning a living is not a separate compartment of our own will to exploit at our pleasure, but it is an area governed by God and His word as much as any "spiritual" point of reference. Employment is a part of the same whole that is made up of praying, worshiping, teaching, and everything else that we painstakingly measure by a Biblical standard.

To begin, before a foundation can be laid, the land must be cleared. That means we must scrape away some of the fruitless, erroneous underbrush that we've been cultivating over the years. A Christian with bad theology can actually be worse off than a heathen who has no common sense. After all, an unbelieving sluggard who lies on the couch, moaning about his bad breaks, may get tired of it and get up after awhile. Then his situation can improve. But a Christian sluggard, who has given his dollar in the offering, will quote the appropriate scriptures, will hold fast to that couch until God comes through and his ship comes in. I've certainly seen this kind of passive behavior before.

By now I hope you realize that I am not satisfied with merely helping you start your own business. I am meddling in your personal business. I want you to succeed, but I want to make sure you don't take any bad habits with you. And I want you to find contentment along the way: